Fighting
by PennilessDreams.2
Summary: When couples fight, what do they hope to achieve? What do they strive for? What do all of the cursing and harsh words amount to? Dasey.
1. Prologue

This is my first "Dasey," fanfic but surely not my first fanfiction – I've been in the world of fanfiction and the like since I was about… 12 or 13? (18 now.) Either way… onto the interesting things.

* * *

**Prologue**

_"A Starting Point..."_

* * *

What exactly was she fighting after? Was she fighting after the fact that he was leaving? That their relationship lay in shambles at her feet? Was she fighting to save it?

Or… was she fighting to admit that she was wrong?

Everything moved in slow motion around her, the noise of their argument had been shut out and at that moment, it was like an out of body experience as she gazed at the two of them. Both in each other's face and at the other's throat, the cussing and the harsh words that were thrown about had turned into growling and hissing, like a cat and a dog who had crossed paths one too many times.

It got to the point that the unabridged anger that had slowly pitted itself in his belly finally exploded and the area he had backed her into became too small to handle it all. He swung his fist, making contact with the wall right by her head.

She froze, a cold shiver running down her spine as the air whizzed passed her ears and a crack of bones was heard. He seemed unaffected by any physical pain he more than likely caused and turned from her in such a rush that she blinked and he was busily shrugging on his jacket.

With a voice not her own, she called out to him as the door opened but he didn't listen, he didn't stop, he did not even hesitate. It slammed, the awful sound bouncing along the now quiet house. Just outside those same walls a car revved and tires swirled and crunched against tightly packed snow before everything was still.

Her knees buckled, no longer able to support her weight and she laid herself against the wall, slowly sinking to the floor. Somewhere inside, she hoped it would swallow her up, but it did not. She placed a shaky hand over her heart, why wasn't she feeling anything? She pressed a little harder, she could only feel her heart beating but she felt so numb and so cold, like she was dead.

'Or dying.'

There was no pain, no aching, no longing… there was just nothing. She reached up with her other hand and brushed her cheeks, only to pull back and find them wet. She was crying and she had not even noticed. Before she knew it, tears were free falling down her face until they were like a torrent. She did not wipe them away but let her body fall to the side and she lay there, sobbing.

--

'Why did she have to do that? Why did she have to say that?' A million questions and thoughts rushed through his head like a speeding train, his vision blurred and the car swerved. He quickly regained control, finally taking note of the throbbing pain that shot up his right arm.

"Ah, Damn!" He cursed but the physical pain he was feeling was nothing compared to how emotionally torn apart he was. Not a religious man but it felt as if his soul had been ripped into two and stomped on.

A gleam caught his eye and he noticed the gold wedding band on his left ring finger, without much thought, he snatched the piece of jewelry off and chucked it somewhere in the car. _"I will love you, always and forever."_ Her voice rang in his ears and forgetting he was driving, he squeezed his eyes shut to force it out.

Her laughter, her singing – it played out in scenes across his mind, like she was sitting right next to him. _"I'm always going to be here for you…" _Lies; all lies. The blaring honking shook him out of his torment and he just barely missed crossing over into the other lane.

He should have pulled over at that moment but he wanted to, no, he needed to get as far away from as possible. Yet, that was not what he really wanted, he wanted everything to go back to the way it was – he wanted to come home and have her hold him and never let go.

So consumed within his thoughts, within the darkness that had been feasting on his heart for months he did not realize the light ahead had flickered to red. He did not realize he flew through the light and by the time he saw the lights and heard the fog horn of the truck, it was too late. Too late to say…

--

"In local news, just on the corner of Broad and Fitzpatrick, a horrible accident occurred sometime late last night around twelve midnight. It involved a rather large pick-up truck and a sports car, the police are…"

Ding, dong.

She stirred lightly, her body argued in protest of any movement and she stopped.

Ding, dong.

A slur of mumbled gibberish wracked its way from her lips and she sat up, hearing her joints pop. She struggled onto her feet, her legs wobbling, daring to collapse but she managed to hold up as she made her way to the door.

Upon opening it, there stood two people, dressed in a set of familiar blue uniforms and mix of shiny badges and objects. She nodded slowly as they addressed her by her last name, not forgetting to include the prefix of her marriage.

"Your husband…" She blinked, the word fumbling through her mind like a foreign oddity.

"My husband?"

"Yes, your husband. Mrs. Venturi, we're part of St. Vincent's Hospital – your husband was in a terrible accident late last night and we were only just able to identify him this morning. We need you to come with us."

The world slowed suddenly, as if she was experiencing another out of body case. She could only shake her head, a confused expression tracing her facial muscles. "W-what?" She leaned over, gripping the edge of the door, her mouth grew dry and her knees bent.

The officers looked between themselves, taking her hands gently to help steady her. "Is there anyone we can call right now?"

"No… no." She managed to shrug herself away from the uniformed people, reaching behind her to grab onto her purse that she had carelessly tossed away the other night and with a sharp tug, shut the door. "Please, lead the way." It was cold outside, mid-February but she did not have time to run back in for a jacket.

Another look passed across the two of them but they did not question this – simply glad for their own sake that Mrs. Venturi was not on the edge of hysterics.

* * *

**Ohh… I wonder what happened… I know I hate Cliffies...**


	2. Mental Preparation

Thanks for those who have added this fanfiction to their list of updates!

* * *

**Chapter 1**

_"Mental Preparation."_

* * *

_-POV Change-_

Why don't I feel anything? I could not exactly pinpoint when the feelings of shock and disbelief passed into the same numbness that over came me again. I swiped my fingers through my thick hair, my nails snagging on some of the knots. I knew I looked horrible, make-up nonexistent and clothes in disarray.

Yet, along with this numbness came a sense of uncaring. I did not care that I looked quite rustled and unladylike – that I could be some country bumpkin who had managed to get a bit of change to buy the nice dress on my body and shoes on my feet.

I slid into the back of the police car as one of the officers held the door open for me, I could feel the burning looks of pity digging holes into my soul. The urge to spit at him rose in my throat; I was never one for pity. The car came to life and smoothly eased away from my house and I watched as it faded into the distance.

I let go, my body slumping back into the plush leather seats, my right hand snaking its way, pressing into my side, into my heart. Darkness overcame me; my eyelids grew heavy as the muted whispers of the people in the car with me drifted into nothing.

I'm not sure what happened next, did I really take a step back into time or was it all of the emotions that I could not feel taking a toll on my mind?

"_What about this one Der?" Casey shifted her pale blue eyes to gaze at the tall male seated beside her. The once excited look drained from her face as she was only matched with a look of boredom. She resisted the urge to release the sudden sigh that was building up in her throat as she calmly set down the magazine and recapped the highlighter in her hands._

_She turned in her spot to face him fully, "Listen – you're the one who suggested that we finally get our own place. I mean, how long have we been splitting rent with Emily and Sheldon?"_

_Derek grunted in response, casting his dark brown eyes in her direction. He knew he had brought up the idea but he did not think that she would take it up as being serious – correction, the look on her face said absolutely, yes. She was serious. He shrugged, "Like… two years? Since we've gotten out of uni…"_

_Casey tried not to lift her well-manicured hand up to rub at the bridge of her nose in building agitation. "It was a rhetorical question __**Derek**__! I meant it as; I was actually surprised that you brought up the idea of finally becoming… well… us."_

_She reached over to grasp her boyfriend's hands in her own, as much as she would love to be yelling at him for his lack of attention on something that was clearly of his own mind – life had been peaceful for the past few months. Something changed about them when the thought of them coming home to their own house during an after dinner cuddle. They discussed what they wanted in a house, if they wanted a yard or not, how big it should be, what type of neighborhood they wanted to settle in, it reaffirmed her feelings that they would perhaps be together forever._

_Well, of course they would be "together forever," as technically they were step-brother and step-sister, by law they were family. Yet they never saw each other as family, they never grew up together – they did not even live in the same town or go to the same school until their parents met up and tied the knot at the beginning of their high school careers. They treated each others as strangers who shared the same bathroom in the same house._

_Derek looked down at their hands and back up to Casey's face before he nudged at her gently. She had gone quiet and a spacey look decorated her delicate features. "Case?" To be honest, he had been avoiding things as of last. When he first brought it up, they had both been on point – he loved their talks about a future together but as more time passed and the more than just a vague concept was beginning to come into a reality, he was getting cold feet._

"_Oh… I'm sorry," Casey pulled herself from her own moment, "If this is going to work Derek… I need you here with me, okay?" She let one of her hands slide up to brush along his cheek lightly, pushing a strand of soft brown hair from his vision. "You still want this… right?"_

_His answer was on reflex. "Yes, of course."_

By the time I had come down from the brief relapse into the past, the wafting breeze of the open door was flapping up my dress and I slowly turned my head to see the two officers looking expectantly at me. I figured I should make a move before they think I've died.

I slid my legs out, keeping them pressed together for what little modesty I could bare as I struggled to get out of the car. Something was holding me back as I gazed up into the large red letters that read, "Emergency." What was I doing here again? The two beside me grasped gently onto my arms, leading me through the doors that parted in motion as the sensitive sensors picked up on us and as fast as we had arrived there, I was soon seated with a clipboard and pen in hand, flying across all the paperwork.

Blood type, birthday, vaccinations, allergies… everything about this _man_, my husband, I knew by heart. Whatever you wanted, I could spit it back out to you the same way he would – but that was just technical things. Easy things, if you called his primary physician he could give you the exact same information – even what his urine color looked liked last time he had to go for a check up. I reiterated the same question to myself again, _what was I doing here?_

That's right, Mr. Venturi – husband to one Mrs. Venturi was in a horrible car accident. Obviously as his wife I was first notified but I am sure, if he could speak – that is, if he was even still alive – he would probably curse the ground I walked on. The breath caught in my throat as I finally caught up that I had casually brushed away the fact that my husband could be dead – in mid-walk, my knees buckled and I startled the nurse that was leading me towards the elevator. I brushed off her attempted assistance and straightened my back. I could do this, right?

* * *

**Things are moving a bit slow but they should pick up within the next few chapters! I would love to hear what you guys think! Reviews make me happy, and they help me to update faster! :)**


	3. Struggling Emotions

I can't begin to express my deepest apologies for putting this story aside for so long, but a few days after I posted the second chapter, my life went to the place with the double hockey sticks. I also started college in September, so thus my time has been consumed.

I am back now though. Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

"_Struggling Emotions."_

_

* * *

  
_

I always hated hospitals; this was a random thought that bounced through my mind as I stepped off of the elevator, and the glaring white of the walls shocked my eyes into submission as the once dilated pupils shrunk.

I hated the smell, I hated the design, I hated the constant beeping of all the machines, and I hated the commotion… I just hated the hospital.

The nurse ahead of me was babbling on about how my husband was doing, and I could not bring myself to pay attention to her – she had a high, nasally voice that was grating on my nerves. I glared at the back of her neck; half hoping she could feel that.

It only took moments to get down the hall of the third floor, and I was soon passing by a variety of numbers while allowing my eyes to wander into the open doors of various rooms. Some older people watching TV, some sleeping, a few children and teenagers dotted the area. Some people were leaving while others were getting set up.

All in all, it was a depressing scene. and the smell of a food cart passing by made my nose turn up as I stopped in front of room 324. The nurse hesitated in her motions as she watched for any signs on my face, and I did not give her the satisfaction of that as I only nodded for her to open the door.

As soon as it parted, I slide past her and into the room which I half expected to be decorated with flowers and cards, but I was beyond sure our family and friends had yet to be notified.

My breath caught in my throat as the proverbial elephant in the room grew a bit bigger as the medical bandages kept most of any distinguishable features hidden from view. Two legs and an arm were propped up by wires as the figure laid board straight, not even an incline of the bed could be determined as I tip-toed closer.

I was afraid of bringing attention to myself, thinking his head would snap over in my direction, and the smoldering hatred of those brown eyes would pierce straight into my soul, and he would yell at me to leave. I grabbed at my chest suddenly, trying to keep steady as I took a seat in the empty chair just a few feet away from the bed.

The nurse said something from the door before closing it behind her, but I didn't hear it. I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees as my mind began to drift.

_6 Years Earlier…_

"_I love you, that's why!" The crunch of her boots against the snow stopped suddenly, and swung around in half-astonishment and anger._

"_W-what?"_

"_You heard me Case…" He took a step forward, and then another until he was standing in front of her. His hands went out to touch her forearms gently, "It's true… all of the things he did, that was me."_

_His eyes searched hers frantically before they darted away as he continued to talk. "You liked him so much… and I'm, I'm just your step-brother. You accepted him while you continued to reject me; I couldn't possibly ruin how happy you were with him."_

"_My birthday…?"_

_Derek nodded, squeezing at her arms in an attempt to keep from pulling her into him. "Everything Casey." Reluctantly, he released her, and stepped backwards for fear of the back lashing and the rejection he was about to face. He couldn't bear to look into her eyes and see the disgust that her own step-brother was in love with her; he had suffered for the past year watching her date someone else._

_What had happened to him? He never use to like Casey, not even as a friend as his mind reeled backwards to the time his father first told him that the McDonalds were now part of the family, and would be moving in with them. And his spite for her grew more as she started up an entire feud over bedrooms, and attempted to take over his own for claiming she needed space. He masked his dislike of her as she was such a perfectionist, knocking off the grading curve in the house with her sparkling report card and her willingness to volunteer in anything, he turned all of that into something productive by humiliating her at every chance he got._

_And now, here Derek Venturi was, proclaiming his love for the girl he had hated, and whose life he made that much harder by being a consistent thorn in her side. He snorted inwardly to himself at how far they had come since high school, and how his take on the world changed so dramatically._

_A gentle hand on his cheek averted his attention back to those vivid blue eyes that always kept him trapped in their gaze and different emotions swirled in them. "Why me? I mean…"_

"_Yeah I know you're my step-sister. Go ahead Casey and tell me how wrong it is and how…" The words were stuck in his throat as he waited for everything in his worst case scenario to come true._

"_No Derek, it's not that. It's the fact I thought you always hated me. You could never once look me in the eye except for when I challenged you. You couldn't stand breathing in the same oxygen I was, and now… you're in love with me?"_

"_Weird, huh?"_

"_Very." She nodded, absentmindedly stroking his cheek before she pulled her hand back and then extended it out for him to take which he did hesitantly. They began to walk through the park in silence, both lost in their own thought for a moment, and Derek wondered what was running through Casey's mind._

_On the flip side, Casey could barely keep her thoughts centered as they raced in different directions, and she started to question her feelings for Brian who was her current boyfriend, the one who claimed to have done all those wonderful things for her when it was really Derek behind it all._

_That's what had originally caught her attention about Brian, how he seemed so in tune to her and how sweet and considerate he was, and how he always remembered the little things that made her, her._

_She was suddenly questioning her emotions for Brian, and if Derek was telling the truth, then she was really in love with Derek._

_Casey stopped in her steps which caused Derek to jerk backwards as their hands were still connected, and the words that came flying out of her mouth next almost made Derek hit the ground. "What?!"_

"_Kiss me Derek." Casey looked at him hard, she had to know that if all the feelings she felt for Brian were really for Derek. "I... I need to know something."_

"_B-but..."_

"_Please Derek... you claimed it was you who did all those wonderful things, and not Brian, and you say that you love me then at least give me this one thing that I've asked directly for..."_

_Derek licked his lips which were dry all of sudden, and he closed the small amount of space between him and the girl he had fallen so head over heels for. "You swear you won't get mad...?"_

_She leaned up on her tip-toes, barely a breath away, "I'm the one asking." She whispered before pressing her lips to his, and the world around them slowly melted into nothing._

The whirling of the machines in the background yanked Mrs. Venturi out of her flashback, and the loud footsteps of a doctor and the nurse who had shown her in fully brought her back into reality.

"Nurse Art, please assist Mrs. Venturi out of here." The doctor commanded as he watched Casey struggle to her feet, attempting to make sense of the heart monitor that was bleeping in and out. She could not open her mouth to speak in protest, and she was unable to muster the strength to fight against Nurse Art who was gently leading her out of the room.

The harsh realization that her husband was on the other side of a thick brown door fighting for his life hit her hard, and she was unable to control the torrent of sobs that racked her body, and she collapsed against Ms. Art.

* * *

**[EDIT 11/29/08] **My mistake!! Casey and Derek did NOT get together until the beginning of their second year of uni -- Derek has been in love with Casey since their senior year of high school. Casey met Brian (who will be introduced later) in her first year of uni, and the flashback scene of this chapter with Derek, she had recently celebrated her one year anniversary with him.

And four years (not two like I said earlier) into living together as a couple, and five years dating all together, they decided they wanted to buy a house. Their careers, and other such matters will come into play later, along with the rest of the family and friends.

Also, the POV, when speaking in first person is always going to be Casey "narrating."


End file.
